This invention relates to oil separators, and, more particularly, to an oil separator, mounted in an outlet or discharge section of a gas compressor, for separating the minute particles of oil incorporated in the refrigerant gas.
It has been the usual practice to use oil separators provided with filter means formed of porous materials; however, a disadvantage of the use of a porous filter material resides in the fact that the porous material tends to undergo a degeneration when exposed to an atmosphere of refrigerant and oil at high temperature and pressure over a prolonged period of time, with such exposure not only resulting in a reduction in the performance of the filter means but also in a blocking of the oil feeding passage by decomposed filter material finding its way into the oil feeding system thereby resulting in a compression loss in the compressor.
This invention has as its object the provision of a highly efficient oil separator for separating oil from the exhausted gas containing refrigerant gas and minute particles of oil incorporated in the refrigerant gas exhausted through the outlet port of a compressor.
In accordance with the invention an oil separator is mounted in the outlet section of a gas compressor for separating oil from the exhausted gas containing refrigerant gas and minute particles of oil, and a separating means, comprising at least one grooved plate formed at least on one surface thereof with a plurality of grooves is provided, with the separating means being installed in such a manner that the exhausted gas flows substantially at right angles to the grooves whereby the oil in the refrigerant gas can be trapped by the grooved plates.